Mark Maynard | 2009 | June

MarkMaynard.com, a wretched hive of scum and villainy

By Mark | June 21, 2009

A few weeks ago, in a post about the soon-to-be-launched AnnArbor.com site, I suggested that perhaps Tony Dearing, their Director of Content, was a bit naïve when he said publicly that they would be able to control the conversation taking place in the comments section by employing “aggressive moderation.” Well, it looks like Dearing has responded on the A2.com placeholder site. Here’s some of what he had to say:

…Our Web advisory panel met for the first time this morning in a community room at the Ann Arbor Public Library to see how our site is developing so far, to ask questions and give us input. We listed the names of our advisory group in an earlier post.

They urged us to take a strong hand in moderating conversation on AnnArbor.com right from launch. One warned us that the failure to do so could allow our site to degenerate into a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

To avoid that, we should have norms for conversation on the site, clearly enforce those norms, and be transparent about what we’re doing.

That’s interesting, because I talked about our plan to moderate “aggressively” in an earlier post, and that intention was immediately challenged by blogger Mark Maynard. In the spirit of viewer discretion, I should mention that if you follow the link to Maynard’s blog, the comment thread includes an impressive array of vulgarities. Even Maynard was moved to joke that “On second thought, maybe aggressive moderation is a good thing”…

Before I go any further, I’d like to reiterate that I want AnnArbor.com to be wildly successful. I think that our region needs serious journalism, and I hope, with the loss of the Ann Arbor News, this new entity, AnnArbor.com, might step into the void and fill that role. (Blogs aren’t journalism, and shouldn’t be seen as such.) My only point in that initial post was to suggest that cultivating a healthy and active online community isn’t as easy as Dearing makes it sound… If you want to foster a real community dialogue, in my opinion, people have to know that they’re being heard, and that, it seems to me, runs counter to aggressive moderation.

In my first post on the matter, I gave two examples. In one case I wondered what they would do in the eventuality that someone left a valid but unfavorable comment about an advertiser. In the other case, I was wondering how they would react when things got heated around a specific, divisive topic, like Israel, or abortion. My point was that, like it or not, they’re going to have to confront some difficult issues. And, yes, I stated that Dearing was naive when he said that he was convinced that they could pull it off with relative ease because he’d talked with someone who had run an online community in the past. Believe it or not, I was trying to be helpful by pointing out that “aggressive moderation,” while it sounds good, isn’t going to be all that easy. (I suggested that they open things up completely and let the chips fall where they may. The community, I suggested, would regulate itself.)

But I suspect they’ll find that out in good time.

Anyway, I just thought that it was funny that they implied that this site of mine – which has run for about 7 years now, gets up to 1,000 individual readers a day, and has only had to erase 3 comments in all that time – by leaving its comments section open, and free of aggressive moderation, is “a wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

Needless to say, I disagree. I think that we talk about real issues here, and, more importantly, I think we work together to arrive at real, practical solutions. I think that a lot of good has come from this site, and I think a major reason for that is the open posting policy. Within reason, people know that when they post a comment here, that it’ll go up on the site, people will see it, and, in some cases, it will influence the course of the dialogue. Sure, I’ve got a bar, but it’s set incredibly low. And I think that helps more than it hurts. But that’s not why I bring any of this up at the moment. What I have in mind is much more serious… I want to know if any of you would like to take a shot at designing the first official MarkMaynard.com t-shirt. The only rule is that it has to be 3 colors or less and contain the phrase – “a wretched hive of scum and villainy.” You don’t even have to include the name of the site, if you don’t want to. I could print that on the inside.

And, for what it’s worth, I think I need an advisory panel too.

Posted in Ann Arbor, Ideas, Media, Other, Special Projects | Tagged a wretched hive of scum and villainy, advisory panel, aggressive moderation, AnnArbor.com, awesome t-shirt ideas, Tony Dearing | 32 Comments

Cool things I didn’t do this weekend: Hamtramck Bars Poker Run

By Mark | June 21, 2009

hamtownbikebeer

I’ve been talking about having a big, somewhat coordinated bar crawl here in Ypsi for quite some time now. Maybe it would be ill advised, but I was thinking that we’d have one drink in each of six different places. And, I even went so far as to talk some folks involved with Bike Ypsi, to see whether or not they’d be interested in pursuing it with me. They were, but then I started thinking about the liability associated with such an endeavor, and my enthusiasm just kind of fizzled out. Well, our friends in Hamtramck apparently aren’t nearly as risk adverse. They had a similar event yesterday, and, by all accounts, it seems to have gone well… Or, at least I haven’t heard about anyone getting run over by a semi.

So, now I’m wondering if maybe I need to get beyond my fear that Ypsilantians can’t pedal straight after six beers, and just accept the reality that a sizable majority of my fellow citizens are probably used to functioning at blood alcohol levels in that rough vicinity on a daily basis… And, if six is too many, maybe we could do five. And, if they were big beers, maybe we could start walking the bikes after number four. Or, maybe we could have cops doing sobriety checks at each stop. Or, what if we alternated beer and coffee? My point is, maybe there’s a way to do it responsibly… The bottom line is, if our counterparts in Hamtown can have a poker run, then why the hell can’t we?

If this were to happen, I was thinking that we’d want to be able to do it for $20 to $25 a person. That, I’m thinking, should be able to get us a drink at each bar, leave a tip, and give everyone some some kind of commemorative t-shirt on the day of the ride.

The hard part, I think, would be picking the bars. I’d want to pick a few places off the beaten path, but not so far off the beaten path that people might find themselves – you know – beaten on a path.

So, assuming we did want to do this, 1) would you be interested in participating, and 2) where would you suggest that we stop? Arthur’s? the Idle Hour? Haab’s? The Elbow Room? Mister Mike’s? The Brewery? Sidetrack?

On a completely unrelated note, I never cease being impressed by the Disney PR machine. I would have thought it impossible, but somehow they’ve been able to spin the fact that a young girl died immediately after seeing their new movie, UP as a positive. Fro the perspective of another marketer, it’s absolutely inspirational.

Posted in Food, Ideas, Local Business, Other, Special Projects, Ypsilanti | Tagged Arthur's, Bike Ypsi, commemorative t-shirt, Cool things I didn't do this weekend, Corner brewery, Death, Disney, Elbow Room, getting drunk and riding bikes, Haab's, Hamtramck, Hamtramck Bars Poker Run, Idle Hour, Mister Mike's, poker run, risk adverse, Sidetrack, Up, Ypsi bar crawl, Ypsilanti bars | 40 Comments

Friday Free For All: brought to you by Cafe Luwak

By Mark | June 18, 2009

coupon_june

Anything. Really.

Posted in Coupon, Locally Owned Business | Tagged buffets, Cafe Luwak, open thread | 22 Comments

“The Jamboree”

By Mark | June 18, 2009

Remember how, a week or so ago, I told you that the Depot Town CDC, having been told by a few people in the community that the name “Ypsitucky Jamboree” was horribly offensive, were charged with coming up with a new name for their summer music festival? Well, they came up with one. After soliciting ideas from readers of this site, and others, the CDC board agreed to the name “Rustbelt Roots Revival.” Well, it would seem that still wasn’t good enough. From what I hear, the powers that be within the City said that the term “Rustbelt” carried with it too much of a negative connotation, and they asked that the name be changed yet again. (Ypsitucky, as you’ll recall, was said to have racist overtones.) In the end, it was agreed to call the event simply “The Jamboree.”

I joked in an earlier thread that we should call the event the “Blandsilanti Jamboree.” As it turns out, I wasn’t far off. In the attempt to find something inoffensive to everyone, we’ve come up with something that absolutely no one in the community could possibly feel passionately about…. Here, in evidence of that, is a comment just left on the site.

So Ypsitucky was a bit too edgy. Understood, but folks really need to lighten up around town.

Now Rust Belt is too edgy as well? Are you fucking serious? You see the term used in the NY Times, academic books, etc. It’s mostly used as a term for post-industrial cities in the Great Lakes region, not a derogatory name hardly these days. I’ve lived in the Rust Belt my whole life (and toured most of it’s big cities) and I have no problems what so ever with this title. In fact I think it would be even better and more accurate than Ypsitucky in so many ways.

So with Ypsitucky shot down and now Rust Belt can we officially declare Ypsilanti the lamest city in SE Michigan (certainly the Rust Belt) and possibly the entire state? Blandsilanti indeed!

Again, I wish the promoters of the event all the luck in the world as they try to generate interest in this festival, but, for the life of me, I can’t see how they can be successful marketing an event called “The Jamboree.” They might as well call it, “Music Event In Park.”

I can kind of see how some folks were upset by “Ypsitucky,” as the word was traditionally used as a pejorative against us, but “rustbelt”? Really? Are we so sensitive that we can’t hear the name of our City even mentioned in that context? Isn’t it time that we embrace reality? Like it or not, we’re in the rustbelt, folks. Just because we refuse to use the word, doesn’t mean it’s not true. I’d agree that we probably don’t want that single fact to define us, but we can’t pretend that it’s not true. Not mentioning it in a festival name doesn’t make it any less real. And what could be more positive than taking it, and owning it? What could possibly be better than “Rustbelt Revival”? That’s us taking ownership for something and elevating it. That’s us saying to the rest of the world, “Yeah, you think we can’t make it, but we can.” I love that. It’s the perfect message for right now. It’s honest. And it’s empowering… Instead, though, we’ve chosen to be home to “The Jamboree.” I feel sad for Ypsi tonight.

Posted in Art and Culture, Ypsilanti | Tagged Blandsilanti Jamboree, Depot Town CDC, Erik Dotzauer, Music Event, rustbelt, Rustbelt Roots Revival, The Jamboree, thin skin, Ypsitucky Jamboree | 80 Comments

Sex and Riots in Ann Arbor

By Mark | June 17, 2009

The Ann Arbor Chronicle has an interesting historical piece today on the June 1969 youth riots that took place in Ann Arbor. The incredibly detailed article, which includes some great photos as well, was written by a fellow named Alan Glenn, who is currently at work on a documentary about Ann Arbor in the ’60s. Having walked down South University a number of times over the course of the past 20 years, including twice today, I found the following clip to be of particular interest.

…The Ann Arbor News reported that at some point during the evening a couple had engaged in “sexual relations…on the pavement of South University, surrounded by cheering young men and women.” Other newspapers also reported the event. The Washington Post stated that “at least one couple had performed the sex act in the street.” The Chicago Tribune went one better, reporting “two lewd acts in the street.” Interestingly, the UM student-run Michigan Daily, a paper not generally known for its modesty, does not appear to have reported “at least one overt sexual act” until more than two months later…

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the Beatles’ “Why Don’t You Do It in the Road?” came out right at the end of 1968.

And I wonder where those people are today… I wonder if they’re in positions of power somewhere, making important decisions, always a bit fearful of being discovered.

Now, this is where I should go off on a tangent about how college students today suck, and how I’m disgusted that there haven’t more protests against the war in Iraq, but I won’t. I’ll save my bile for another day. I did want to mention, however, that, when I was a student at the University of Michigan, I was tear-gassed on that same street – South University. It was the night of some big basketball or football game, and I was working, making pizzas. And there was a mob outside, on the street – probably not so far from where these other folks fucked in protest. I couldn’t see a lot through the window, but I remember seeing street signs being pulled down, and people yanking at awnings and the like. And that’s when the riot cops came in, marching in lock step, launching canisters of tear gas as they advanced. As you might have guessed, all the rich kids, who didn’t have to work, took off running. My friends and I, though, had to stay there and continue cleaning up, all the while coughing up our lungs and scratching at our eyes… And, now that I think of it, maybe that’s when I became radicalized against the sports-loving fraternal types among you.